The Standard
No seal,
no deal.
Every wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano is inspected and stamped by the Consorzio. No stamp means it's not the real thing.
Any cheese can call itself "Parmesan." But the real thing is only made in specific provinces of Emilia-Romagna, under strict farming and manufacturing standards that haven't changed in 900 years.
That's not gatekeeping. That's protecting something worth protecting.